Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Gets a Release Date, Collector’s Edition and Preorder Details, Trailer and Official Box Art

We’ve been waiting for a long time to know when Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn will finally hit the shelves, and today Square Enix delivered: the new MMORPG will hit the shelves (both retail and digital download) worldwide for PC and PS3 on August the 27th,

The Collector’s Edition is definitely rich (and absolutely beautiful) and will include the following items:

Those that will preorder the game will also get the following advantages:

Early Access – Get a head start and leave your mark in the realm of Eorzea with this early access to the game servers ahead of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn’s launch.

Cait Sith Doll Minion – On sabbatical from Shinra Inc. and looking for adventure, Cait Sith will join your party as a non-combat pet.

Mog Cap – Strut around the world of Eorzea with this one-of-a-kind Moogle-themed hat. Kupo!

You can find the official box art for both the US Standard Edition (PS3 and PC versions), the European PS3 Version, the Collector’s Edition and the Japanese version (without markings), alongside with renders of the Collector’s Edition and Preorder bonus in-game items in the gallery at the bottom of this page.

In addition to this wealth of info, all the details leaked earlier about the collector’s edition, PC and PS3 release for those that already purchased the original version of Final Fantasy XIV have been officially confirmed.

Those that got the original version of the game will not need to purchase a new copy if they want the PC version, as they’ll get to download it for free. Owners of the Collector’s Edition will also get the digital items included in the new Collector’s Edition free of charge and delivered directly to their Moogle mailbox. If you want the physical items as well you’ll have to purchase the new Collector’s Edition, as expected.

Players with Legacy status (those that paid for more than three months in the original game) will also get to participate in the Early Access.

Those that want the PS3 version of the game will have to purchase it, whether they had the PC version of the original game or not, but once activated they’ll still be able to use their old characters (if they had the original PC game). Only one copy of the PS3 version can be tied to a single Sony Entertainment Network account, so if you want multiple copies you’ll also need multiple PSN accounts.

A Collector’s Edition Digital Upgrade Service will also be made available on a dedicated website, and it will allow players to upgrade their Final Fantasy XIV standard edition to collector’s edition status (for a yet unspecified fee) and receive the items mentioned above.

The game will be available for $39.99 on PS3 and $29.99 for PC. The Collector’s Edition will be available for $79.99 on PS3, and the PC version will be sold exclusively at the Square Enix Online Store for $69.99. A free 30-day trial is also included for new accounts. Monthly subscriptions for new accounts will cost $12.99.

Ready or not, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is finally coming.

If you haven’t played the original game, you may want to check the eight episodes of my The Story So Far recap column, that will bring you up to speed with the plot of Final Fantasy XIV. While the developers swear that new players will still be able to enjoy the new game without knowing what happened in the first, a detailed glimpse on the past (including all the relevant story cutscenes) can’t hurt for sure.

If you want to see some brand new PC and PS3 footage of the game, we also just got a new and downright lovely trailer, that you can check out below. It’s honestly extremely hard not to be amazed by the results of the efforts by Naoki Yoshida and his team to redesign Eorzea.

Those that stuck to their guns and kept supporting the game and its team against the odds and through the hard times of the original Final Fantasy XIV can definitely be proud of their choice.

Hailing from sunny (not as much as people think) Italy and long standing gamer since the age of Mattel Intellivision and Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Definitely a multi-platform gamer, he still holds the old dear PC nearest to his heart, while not disregarding any console on the market.
RPGs (of any nationality) and MMORPGs are his daily bread, but he enjoys almost every other genre, prominently racing simulators, action and sandbox games.
He is also one of the few surviving fans of the flight simulator genre on Earth.